Infection and co-infection by the amphibian chytrid fungus and ranavirus in wild Costa Rican frogs

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

Steven M. Whitfield¹  Iria Chacon¹  Maureen A. Donnelly¹  Erica Geerdes¹  Jacob L. Kerby¹  Erick Ballestero Rodriguez¹  Randall R. Jimenez¹ 

关键词: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis;    Frog virus 3;    Amphibian decline;    Emerging infectious diseases;    Oophaga pumilio;    Craugastor bransfordii;    Craugastor fitzingeri;   

DOI  :  10.3354/dao02598

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: Amphibian populations are globally threatened by emerging infectious diseases, and 2 pathogens in particular are recognized as major threats: the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and ranaviruses. Here, we evaluated the prevalence of infection by Bd and ranavirus in an assemblage of frogs from a lowland wet forest in Costa Rica. We found an overall prevalence of 21.3% for Bd and 16.6% for ranavirus, and detected both pathogens widely among our 20 sampled species. We found a positive association between ranavirus and Bd infection in one of our 4 most commonly sampled species. We also found a positive but non-significant association between infection by ranavirus and infection by Bd among species overall. Our study is among the first detailed evaluations of ranavirus prevalence in the American tropics, and to our knowledge is the first to detect a positive association between Bd and ranavirus in any species. Considerable research attention has focused on the ecology of Bd in tropical regions, yet we argue that greater research focus is necessary to understand the ecology and conservation impact of ranaviruses on amphibian populations already decimated by the emergence of Bd.

【 授权许可】

Unknown